Kultida Woods, mother of Tiger Woods, dies at age 80

In her only son’s words, Kultida Woods never got “enough credit.” She’s the reason he wore red on Sundays, a choice she spurred on in his early playing days that went on to define an entire era of golf. He got his work ethic from her. She was the person who motivated him to be great and taught him the effort that would need to be required.

“My mom was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable,” the son said.

Her spirit will live on even as she’s gone. Kultida Woods, the mother of 82-time PGA TOUR winner Tiger Woods, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 4. She was 80 years old.

“She was quick with the needle and a laugh,” Tiger Woods wrote in a social media post announcing Kultida’s passing. “She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter, without her none of my personal achievements would have been possible.”

“The PGA TOUR family is saddened by the passing of Kultida Woods," PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. "Those of us who have been lucky enough to have a firsthand view of Tiger Woods’ career know how much both his greatness and his humanity have stemmed from the love and support of his mother. We will cherish our memories of her and our thoughts are with Tiger, his children Sam and Charlie, and their entire family as they mourn her loss.”

Kultida (or “Tida,” as she was often referred to) became known as the matriarch of one of the most famous families in golf, but before that, she was Kultida Punsawad, the youngest of four children of an architect and a teacher. Kultida was born in 1944 in Kanchanaburi, Thailand (about 75 miles west of Bangkok). As a young adult, she moved to Bangkok and worked as a civilian secretary doing clerical work for the U.S. Army base during the Vietnam War. It was there, in 1966, that she met Earl Woods, a Green Beret who served in the 6th Special Forces Group. Earl and Kultida married in 1969 and moved to the U.S., first living in Brooklyn, New York, before moving to Cypress, California. In December 1975, Tida gave birth to her only son, Eldrick Woods.

Earl assumed a much more public role in their son’s golf career as an outspoken dad and coach, while Kultida preferred to stay out of the spotlight. And Tiger maintains it was his mother who instilled in him lifelong values. She was often the one who drove him to tournaments, walked every hole with him and made sure he did his homework. She was the one who pestered him to wear red, which she deemed his “power color.” In her later years, Kultida became very involved in philanthropy and served on the board of Woods’ TGR Foundation. She was particularly focused on the foundation’s efforts in her native Thailand.

"(She) instilled in me this work ethic to fight for what I believe in, chase after my dreams,” Tiger once said. “Nothing's ever going to be given to you, everything's going to be earned. If you don't go out there and put in the work, you don't go out and put in the effort, one, you're not going to get the results, but two – and more importantly – you don't deserve it. You need to earn it."

Kultida kept a private life for much of her adulthood, but when she was seen, it was to celebrate her son. Kultida was on hand for Tiger’s remarkable 2019 Masters victory, there to greet him off the 18th green with her grandchildren, Sam and Charlie. Some of the most recent photos of Kultida were taken when Tiger received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019 and when he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2022.

“My Mom doesn't get enough credit,” Tiger said at the Bob Jones Award ceremony in June 2024. “They all thought that it was me and Dad on the road, which it was, but Mom was at home. If you don’t know, Mom has been there my entire life, she's always been there through thick and thin.”

“This award, I accept it in humbleness and just unbelievable regard for the past recipients, but I also accept it for my mommy, too. She allowed me to get here. She allowed me to do these things, chase my dreams, and the support and love – I didn’t do this alone. I had the greatest rock that any child could possibly have: my mom. Thank you, Mommy.”

Most recently, Kultida was seen at Woods’ most TGL match on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Woods was seen waving to her, smiling and saying, “Hi mom! Not gonna suck tonight.”

Kultida is survived by her son, Tiger Woods, and two grandchildren, Sam and Charlie.

“Thank you all for your support, prayers and privacy at this difficult time for me and my family,” Tiger concluded in his statement. “Love you Mom.”